The Qingming Festival 清明节 or Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day falls on Saturday, 5 April 2014. Qing Ming or Tomb Sweeping Day always falls on the 5th solar term – April 4 or April 5. In fact, Qing Ming occurs on 104th day after the Chinese winter solstice or Dongzhi festival.
Previously, people celebrates Qingming Day by eating cold food, but now the traditions develop into sweeping the ancestors’ tombs, offering food and drinks, and even presenting some expensive things like bag or gadgets on the tombs. Those things are meant to be received by the deceased ancestors in their realm.
The other traditions are done by farmers who put a willow branch in front of the doors or gates of their houses to wipe out the evil spirit. The last common thing done by people during the Tomb Sweeping Day is flying colorful kites. Usually, people also put small lanterns in the kites so that the kites will flicker on the sky.
Despite the seemingly sad history of Qingming, Chinese worldwide generally welcome the celebration of the festival as it is also an occasion of family reunion. Qingming 2014 will be a popular festival in China, Hongkong, Taiwan, Macau, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.
The above are quoted from wikipedia and other online sources. Basically it means a day to pay respect to your ancestors.
However, it has been practised or defined differently in Malaysia. I have no idea how it has been practising in other parts of the world. People in Malaysia believe that by paying respect to their ancestors on Qingming day will bring them good returns. In order words, they are expecting their ancestors to bring them good fortune and luck. Offerings are laid out for the ancestors: food, tea, chopsticks, and wine are common offerings. The burning of joss paper – called “spirit money” or “ghost money”, joss sticks, candles, contemporary joss paper creations include paper mache clothing, houses, cars, servants etc. was practise largely at the graveyard.
Not everyone can pay respect to any ancestors. Remember that i said earlier "some people are expecting some returns" by celebrating Qingming. How does this reflects in the family ? Married daughters are not allow to visit their parents graves. Eldest son, wife and children will make the first joss sticks offering to their ancestor, followed by 2nd son, wife and children and subsequently by the remaining younger sons and family. After all the sons, wives and their children have finished offering the joss sticks, it is now the turn of the remaining unmarried daughters. You may have wonder why such tradition is being practised. Well, it is said that the fengshui of the ancestor would ensure the prosperity of later generations. This prosperity shall first be enjoyed by the eldest son and followed by subsequent sons. Married daughters are prohibited from their parents graves as it is believed they will share the prosper of their brothers, resulting their brothers
Qingming festival is also a day for family reunion. Uncles, aunties and cousins come from far and near would gather at the ancestors graves to pay their respects and burn offerings to ensure that their ancestors can enjoy in their "after life". Qingming Festival 清明节 has become an obligatory to the Chinese family. Non observer will be unfilial to the family.
I always believe one doesn't necessarily pay respect to the dead family only during Qingming. If it really comes from the bottom of your heart, you can always visit their graves any other day. Absence from observing the Qingming festival doesn't make one less filial to the family. There are some smart people who says visiting their ancestor earlier than the rest of the family members will make them richer and more prosper. There are a lot of businessmen that will fly to China just to observe Qingming in hoping their root ancestor will ensure prosperity in their family business.
This is the day of the year where i always wonder why do we pay respect to our ancestors only on Qingming day ? Why we as married daughter can't visit our parents graves ? Isn't it unfilial to respect your husband's parents and not your own parents ? Where is the logic ?
There might be a lot of people who doesn't agree with what i expressed. I always believe that living people is more important than dead people. Why want to feel regret and remorse over what you have not done to your dead family members ? Why not spend your precious moment with your love one who is still alive and do whatever that you can for them. Don't regret only when they have passed away. The Qingming Festival 清明节 is not a day for you to reap your ancestors fortune or for you to feel remorse for what you have not done.
P/S: The above comments are made purely based on what is being practised in my husband's family.
Short background taken from websites.
The festival originated from Hanshi Day (寒食节, literally, "day with cold food only"), a memorial day for Jie Zitui (介子推). Jie Zitui died in 636 BC in theSpring and Autumn Period. He was one of many followers of Duke Wen of Jin prior to his elevation the nobility. Once, during Wen's 19 years of exile, they had no food and Jie prepared some meat soup for Wen. Wen enjoyed it a lot and wondered where Jie had obtained the soup. It turned out that Jie had cut a piece of meat from his own thigh to make the soup. Wen was so moved that he promised to reward him one day. However, Jie was not the type of person who sought rewards. Instead, he wanted only to help Wen to return to the State of Jin to become king. Once Wen became duke, Jie resigned and stayed away from him. Duke Wen rewarded the people who helped him in the previous decades, but for some reason he forgot to reward Jie, who by then had moved into the forest with his mother. Duke Wen went to the forest, but could not find Jie. Heeding suggestions from his officials, Duke Wen ordered men to set the forest on fire to force Jie out. However, Jie died in the fire. Feeling remorseful, Duke Wen ordered three days without fire to honor Jie's memory. The city where Jie died is still called Jiexiu (介休, literally "the place Jie rests forever.").
The festival originated from Hanshi Day (寒食节, literally, "day with cold food only"), a memorial day for Jie Zitui (介子推). Jie Zitui died in 636 BC in theSpring and Autumn Period. He was one of many followers of Duke Wen of Jin prior to his elevation the nobility. Once, during Wen's 19 years of exile, they had no food and Jie prepared some meat soup for Wen. Wen enjoyed it a lot and wondered where Jie had obtained the soup. It turned out that Jie had cut a piece of meat from his own thigh to make the soup. Wen was so moved that he promised to reward him one day. However, Jie was not the type of person who sought rewards. Instead, he wanted only to help Wen to return to the State of Jin to become king. Once Wen became duke, Jie resigned and stayed away from him. Duke Wen rewarded the people who helped him in the previous decades, but for some reason he forgot to reward Jie, who by then had moved into the forest with his mother. Duke Wen went to the forest, but could not find Jie. Heeding suggestions from his officials, Duke Wen ordered men to set the forest on fire to force Jie out. However, Jie died in the fire. Feeling remorseful, Duke Wen ordered three days without fire to honor Jie's memory. The city where Jie died is still called Jiexiu (介休, literally "the place Jie rests forever.").
